IP, Patents, Copyright, You

By Bruce Arnold – http://bit.ly/ycuRQk @ConversationEDU

IDEAS AND OWNERSHIP: The concept of protecting ideas and innovation by legal means dates back to antiquity. But in the age of the internet and multinational business models, many of the existing laws are under strain, their suitability and ultimate purpose called into question.
Bruce Arnold – http://bit.ly/yS6Ji8 – kicks off a new series on The Conversation looking at where we are, where we were and where we’re going with regards to patents, copyright, trademarks and IP.
It’s become a cliché that most Australians are part of an information society or information economy. In fact, we’re all part of an intellectual property society. Intellectual property (IP) affects what we consume and what we create. It also affects when we’re born and when we die, given modern medicine is founded on pharmaceuticals and devices that are encouraged by intellectual property law.
This article offers a snapshot, quick and irreverent, of what IP is, why it’s controversial, and the difference between some key terms.
http://bit.ly/w3lrF8 Via theconversation.edu.au